NICKY LAW’S extra-time strike eventually separated the sides as Rangers ground out a 2-1 Petrofac Training Cup win over Hibernian in their first game of 2014/15.
The Light Blues made hard work of sealing a place in round two against former Ibrox skipper Barry Ferguson’s Clyde, who they’ll meet on August 19 or 20.
Lewis Macleod gave them the perfect start with a fine opener just 13 minutes into the match but Gers faded as time went on.
Danny Handling equalised in the second half and it was only when he was later sent off that the hosts bounced back.
They needed an extra half hour to seal their victory but while it was unconvincing, it at least ensured a winning start to the campaign.
Manager Ally McCoist will acknowledge there’s a bit of work to be done and improvements to be made by his squad.
But that’s a positive in a sense having still overcome a well-organised Hibs side despite the home side not being at its best.
Before kick-off Ibrox rose as one to salute Scottish athlete and Gers supporter Lynsey Sharp for the heroic silver medal she won in the 800m at the Commonwealth Games last week.
Players from both sides formed a guard of honour for the 24-year-old and she waved to the crowd with the action about to get underway.
Rangers began brightly and after an indifferent pre-season campaign, they took the game to their opponents in the opening stages.
Kenny Miller’s movement up front brought added tempo to their play and Kris Boyd showed how dangerous he can be when an early opportunity of his was deflected off target.
The attacker took the ball in well and shot on the turn but Jordan Forster was in the right place to divert over the bar.
It was only a matter of time before the deadlock was broken, however, and when the first goal was scored it was the team’s outstanding player of the summer who got it.
A long ball up to captain Lee McCulloch wasn’t cleared properly and Lee Wallace swung it back in from the left.
His cross was too deep and couldn’t find either of the strikers but space opened up for Macleod at the back post instead.
He took a touch to control before drilling a low, emphatic finish into the net beyond the despairing Mark Oxley to make it 1-0.
With their tails up, the hosts were unfortunate not to double their lead before the 20-minute mark through Boyd.
He turned his man really well once again and fired low into Oxley’s bottom-right corner but had touched the ball with his arm as he chested down and the effort was disallowed.
There weren’t many chances in a relatively even first period but Gers always looked more likely to score.
Miller forced Oxley into a parried save with a low half volley after he let Wallace’s throw drop over his shoulder.
The unlikely Richard Foster also rifled too high from 20 yards after some good pressing down the right flank.
As half-time approached, Hibs came into the game more and knocked the ball around with confidence.
They lacked a cutting edge though and Sam Stanton’s rising shot from outside the area which was always screwing away was as close as they came to netting before the break.
Nevertheless, they continued probing after the restart and Handling’s long-range grasscutter was much closer, albeit still slightly off-range.
And although Stanton did hit the target when he broke the offside trap with Marius Zaliukas in pursuit, Cammy Bell stood up well and saved when the winger shot straight at him.
The Easter Road outfit was getting too much time in possession and that made for a nervy atmosphere among home fans.
Foster tried to lift things with a rampaging run down the right and played a neat one-two with Ian Black before finding Miller, who lifted just over at the near post.
The foray upfield was only temporary and Hibs responded by grabbing a merited leveller with 59 minutes on the clock.
Handling was the scorer from close-range and soon after Farid El Alagui blew a glorious chance to turn the game on its head when he looked offside but the decision wasn’t given.
Hibs were definitely in the ascendency now and another El Alagui opportunity arced over the upright before Black did the same thing at the other end with his foot rather than his head.
As the clock ticked down, Rangers started creeping further upfield and their cause was helped when the away team was reduced to 10 men.
Handling was the player dismissed, with referee John Beaton choosing to show a straight red card after a crunching late challenge on substitute David Templeton.
The former Hearts winger brought new urgency to the team which had been sorely lacking and his tricky feet drew a foul from David Gray which earned him a caution.
He then tumbled as he cut into the box and fell with a foul which should have resulted in a penalty but it wasn’t given by Beaton.
Templeton was the most obvious outlet for Gers to find and another jinking run saw his shot deflected behind, with McCulloch heading the resulting corner over.
As McCoist’s men piled on the pressure with regulation time almost over, Boyd finally got an opening as a he peeled off at the back post.
But Oxley was his equal as he pulled off a sensational point-blank save to deny the hitman and an extra half hour beckoned.
Rangers started that on the front foot and Wallace felt he should have had a spot kick when Gray impeded him as he got set to tap in but got nothing.
Instead, the home team found another way to get ahead and when they did four minutes before the midway point in extra-time it was with a fine strike.
Law took advantage as injured Hibee Scott Robertson couldn’t do enough with the ball to clear and the Englishman bent low into the far corner.
From there, it was always going to be tough for the Edinburgh side to get back into contention given they were both a man and a goal short.
And as the final whistle blew, it confirmed another home tie for the Light Blues against old boy Ferguson’s Bully Wee later in the month.
RANGERS: Bell; McGregor (Templeton 66), McCulloch, Zaliukas; Foster, Macleod (Aird 109), Black, Law, Wallace; Miller, Boyd.
SUBS NOT USED: Simonsen, Smith, Faure, Hutton, Shiels.
SCORERS: Macleod 14, Law 101.
BOOKINGS: Black, Bell.
HIBERNIAN: Oxley; Gray, Forster, Hanlon, Stevenson; Harris, Craig, Robertson (Jones 102), Stanton (Heffernan 74); Handling, El Alagui (Allan 97).
SUBS NOT USED: Perntreou, Nelson, Booth, Cummings.
SCORER: Handling 60.
BOOKINGS: Forster, Gray, Robertson, Stevenson.
SENT OFF: Handling.
REFEREE: John Beaton.
ATTENDANCE: 18,138.
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